


Miraculous 20's

by Bionic_Egypt



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 1920's Manhattan, Gangster father, M/M, Male!Ladybug, Not sure if that's important, OC Story, Plagg eats brie, Police officer father
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-06-05 06:44:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6693682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bionic_Egypt/pseuds/Bionic_Egypt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 1920's Manhattan, two teenage boys must become heroes to save their city from an evil being known as Hawkmoth. Can they survive akumas, gangsters, and even romance as they save their wonderful city?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kwamis in NYC

**Author's Note:**

> I did say I might write about these two! A lot of people seemed to really like the idea, so I’m going to try to write a series of related one-shots about them! (Meaning I’m too lazy to come up with an actual story, and I like fics likes these. Sue me.) To be honest, the more research I do for this story, the more I love it. The slang back then was so funny! Anyway, thanks for putting up with me, and please enjoy Kwamis in NYC.

It was a calm summer day in New York City. Everyone was smiling, the taxis were taking people to and from their destinations with little traffic, the parents were enjoying the warm afternoon with their children, and a certain blond teenager was sitting in the middle of Central Park, trying to photograph a bird sitting on a bench. He’d just gotten the camera for his birthday –an outdated model, sure, but it still was the most expensive thing he owned. As he tried to photograph the animal, he heard a pained cry from only feet away.

 

He instantly dropped what he was doing, running over to where the sound had come from. If it was serious, he’d go get his father; after all, he was the head of the NYPD. To his relief, nothing major had happened. An elderly man had tripped over his own cane, sending him tumbling to the ground. Without a second though, he helped the man to his feet.

 

“Are you alright, sir?” he asked, handing the man his cane.

 

The elderly gentleman, whom he now recognized to be of Asian descent, smiled warmly. “I’m fine, thank you . . .” he trailed off, obviously not knowing the boy’s name.

 

“Scott, sir. Where were you headed? Maybe I can help you get there.”

 

The man shook his head. “No thank you. Though I do appreciate the gesture, Scott.”

 

He walked away, presumably to this mysterious destination, leaving Scott to get back to his photography. His father wanted to make sure the camera was worth every penny of that $21, and Scott was determined to show that it was. After all, he was going to be a well-known photographer one day!

 

* * *

 

 

 _Is that man a sap?!_ Mark thought angrily to himself as he saw an elderly Chinese man walk down the street in the absolute worst part of town. How could that man be so utterly stupid?! Didn’t he know that the Lamonts were about to come through and bump off some of the people who worked for their biggest rival in the industry? Of course, how could he know that? After all, only the Lamonts knew that. Mark just had the ‘pleasure’ of being the son of the big cheese, John Lamont.

 

Anyway, back to the idiot walking down the street without a care in the world. Mark knew he couldn’t let this guy get hurt. Sure, his father wouldn’t care one way or another –after all, what was one more body in the back alleys of New York City? –but he couldn’t turn a blind eye. He didn’t even want to be here! Surely he could do _something_ he wanted to do. Not that he had really _wanted_ to save someone’s life today. It’s funny how fate works.

 

Without a second thought, Mark ran out from his hiding place and grabbed the man’s arm, pulling him down the street.

 

“What–” the man began before Mark hissed at him.

 

“No time!” he snapped. “We’ve got to get out of here!”

 

The second they rounded the corner, Mark heard the tell-tale sounds of gunfire echoing behind him. Just in time. He let go of the man’s arm and pushed his shoulders, anger and concern battling on his face.

 

“Run! Hurry up!” he yelled.

 

The elderly man gave him one last very thankful look before briskly walking down the street, leaving Mark to return and explain to his father’s people why he had abandoned the plan entirely. Well, whoever said crime doesn’t pay had never tried to do the right thing, had they?

 

* * *

 

 

Scott returned home, a newly-developed photograph clutched in his grasp. It turned out perfectly! His father was going to be so happy that the gift hadn’t been a waste. In fact, Scott was already thinking of where he could buy a frame and maybe give it to his father as a thank you present as he walked through the front door of their modest apartment. It wasn’t much, just a three bedroom place with a fire escape at Scott’s window, but he loved it. It was cozy and always perfectly warm.

 

Too bad his father was rarely home to enjoy it with him.

 

Since his father was the chief of police, he was rarely home during the day. When he returned, they usually made dinner together before his father went to bed. They had a schedule, and both the Ross men stuck to it religiously, even if Scott didn’t want to. And, just like every other day, Scott came home to an empty house, grabbed a snack, and headed to his room.

 

Unlike every other day, however, there was a box sitting on his desk.

 

It was a small wooden box, shaped like a hexagon, with some sort of Asian symbol on the top. Where had that come from? Had his father gone to Chinatown again on his lunch break and picked it up? No, that wouldn’t make sense. Harry Ross barely had enough time to eat lunch, let alone return home with an unexpected present for Scott. But if that wasn’t why it was here, then why was it?

 

Curious, Scott picked up the box and opened it up. Nestled inside the dark fabric were two red earrings, five black spots on the both of them. Well, that was strange. Scott didn’t have pierced ears. But they _were_ really nifty. Hmm . . .

 

* * *

 

 

Apparently stabbing a sewing needle through ones’ ears hurt. A lot. And the wounds bled a little bit. But Scott didn’t really mind. He’d built up a high pain tolerance after falling out of too many trees in the park when he’d go up to get a better view. But at least the holes were created. Now all Scott had to do was put the earrings in.

 

Gingerly, the young blond slid the accessories into his ears, wincing as they came in contact with the wounded flesh. The second he put the backings on, an amazing thing happened. A red ball of light appeared in front of him, swirling around to form a tiny red creature with ladybug spots.

 

Scott did the only thing he could think of.

 

He grabbed a book and swatted the creature out of the air.

 

* * *

 

 

Mark returned to his room after a very stern lecture from his father. Yes, he knew that he’d let him down. Yes, he knew he was expected to take over the family business someday. Yes, he was aware that if this happened again he’d be put back through training. No, he didn’t want to let anyone down again.

 

Mark collapsed onto his bed, groaning in frustration. He ran a hand through his black hair, mussing it up enough to escape the hold that stupid product had on it. Why couldn’t he just fix his hair the way he wanted to? In fact, why couldn’t he do anything he wanted to? No, his father expected more of him. After all, in about ten years he would rule the criminal empire of New York City!

 

With a sigh to match his groan, Mark forced himself to sit up. He could at least read until one of his father’s ‘assistants’ came to tell him what to do next. When he was seated, he noticed something out of the ordinary. When had that box gotten there? Ugh, it was probably a new way for his father to deliver him messages. Of course he would do that.

 

Mark got up and opened the box, fully expecting a note to be resting inside telling him when to report to his father’s office the next morning for his schedule. What he found was a black ring with a single green paw print on it. Huh. Well, it looked like it would fit. Mark slid the accessory onto his right ring finger, amazed at what happened next.

 

A green globe of energy appeared in front of him, spinning into a tiny black cat hovering in midair.

 

Mark did the first thing he could think of.

 

He swore.

 

Loudly.

 

* * *

 

 

Scott dove behind his bed as the book passed through the tiny red creature. Oh god! It was a monster or a ghost or some evil thing that was going to kill him and hide his body so he’d never be found and his father would spend the rest of his life searching for him and–

 

“Scott!” the tiny monster called in a voice that did not sound very monstrous. “Calm down. I won’t hurt you.”

 

Trepidation radiating through his –unfortunately short –body, Scott rose up and peered at the red creature from behind his bed. Strange and terrifying as it was, he couldn’t deny that it was kind of cute. It smiled warmly at him, floating a bit closer every second. Maybe –maybe it wasn’t evil? Something that cute couldn’t be evil, could it?

 

“H-hi,” he stuttered nervously. “S-sorry about the, uh, book thing.”

 

The small creature waved her tiny hand –paw? –as if to wipe away the comment. “It’s fine. Many Ladybugs have done the same thing. One actually threw a knife at me; can you imagine? I’m Tikki.”

 

“What are you?” Scott asked softly, not daring to raise his voice. What if the loud sound startled the creature –err, _Tikki_ , and she blew up or something?

 

“I’m a kwami. I can give you the power to save New York City from an evil villain who’s starting to cause trouble,” she explained. “Will you become Ladybug, Scott?”

 

“ _Lady_ bug? But I’m not a dame.”

 

The tiny kwami giggled. “No, you’re not. But Ladybug hasn’t always been a female, you know. Several men have been in the spots before.”

 

Scott wasn’t sure what to say. This thing, this _kwami_ , was offering to give him power? He’d never sought power before. But this was for a good cause. He could save people. His father would be so proud of him if he saved the city! Yeah, he’d be so grateful!

 

“I’ll do it,” he agreed. “I’ll be your Ladybug.”

 

* * *

 

 

Mark was certain that his father had heard him all the way across the house as he spat every curse word he knew at this creepy little flying cat thing. Just _great!_ Of _course_ he would go loony and hallucinate a flying cat who –was he begging for cheese? What was this?

 

“Kid!” the cat finally shouted, interrupting Mark’s very creative rant on the thing’s parentage. “Pipe down, will you? I’m hungry, and you probably don’t even have any good food, so shut it while I try to explain what’s going on.”

 

With a glare at the cat, Mark did in fact stop talking so the thing could speak.

 

“I’m your kwami, Plagg. You’re going to be a hero, alright? You know, save the city and everything? So while you figure out how to thank me, keep in mind that I haven’t eaten in years and I’d like some cheese.”

 

Mark could have cursed again. He could have grabbed the kwami and thrown it out the window. He could have even accepted the thing’s offer and became a hero. He could have done anything but what he did: he laughed.

 

He laughed long and hard at what Plagg was suggesting. Him, a hero? The son of John Lamont, saving the city? Who was the idiot who suggested _this?_ Oh, the universe really hated him, didn’t it? Mark laughed so hard, in fact, that he didn’t even notice Plagg moving closer until the kwami bit him.

 

“Ow!” Mark yelped, swatting the creature away. “What was that for?”

 

“You were being stupid,” Plagg retorted. “Now come on, just say yes and go get me some cheese, preferably brie.”

 

Mark looked down at the annoying little cat and gave a wicked grin. This could be the biggest mistake of his entire life, but he knew what he wanted to do.

 

“I’ll be your hero.”


	2. Defending our Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first akuma attack has happened on New York City! How will Scott and Mark -er, Ladybug and Black Cat save the day? And why is Ladybug using insect puns?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ready for more confusion with Scott and Mark? No? Well, sorry to disappoint, because here’s the next chapter! Please try to enjoy Defending our Home.

Scott had had his Miraculous –that’s what Tikki called the earrings –for about two days. She explained to him exactly what he had agreed to, all the danger and the risk and the secrecy, but nothing she said could deter him from his choice. Scott was known for being insanely stubborn when it came down to it. He wasn’t going to give up his Miraculous, not if he could save the city and make his father proud.

 

But then the unthinkable happened.

 

An akuma attacked.

 

He had known it wouldn’t be long before Hawk Moth sent a minion to attack the city, but why did it have to be so soon? Scott could barely transform without looking like an idiot –Tikki kept insisting that the twirls were necessary, though he was certain they were not. How was he supposed to save New York City? It was impossible!

 

Despite all of his doubts, the moment Scott heard the screams and saw the flash of light that definitely did not come from anything he’d ever seen before, he knew what he had to do. It was time to suit up.

 

“Tikki!” he called, letting the tiny kwami to escape from his bag. “Spots on!”

 

A rush of red light traveled across his face as the mask appeared over his sky blue eyes. He felt the magic sweep across his arms, pulling the appendages perpendicular to his body. Prompted by the energy, Scott spun around as the final bits of the transformation took place, culminating in the formation of the yo-yo around his waist. Once the light vanished, he stood strong, a proud smile on his face.

 

Ladybug was ready. And he was going to save his city.

 

* * *

 

 

When Mark heard the screams and saw the flashing lights, he couldn’t stop the curse that escaped from his mouth. Great! Of course an akuma would attack before he was ready to fight! Plagg snickered from his spot in the boy’s pocket, but he knew they couldn’t stand there all day. Tikki’s brat was probably already there, the goody-two-shoes. No matter what century, Tikki always managed to get a kid who could do no wrong. Figures.

 

Prompted by a not-so-gentle nudge from his kwami, Mark allowed him to escape before he called out his phrase.

 

“Plagg! Claws out!”

 

The kwami was absorbed into the teen’s Miraculous just before a green light swept over Marks’ face, forming a solid black mask –the colors didn’t match up, but who was he to judge? The energy traveled up and across the top of his black hair, forming little cat ears that he’d discovered could actually move during his first transformation. The green magic continued its course, swapping out his very ritzy clothes for a skin-tight black suit. Mark laughed as the final light faded.

 

His tail twitched in excitement. Black Cat was here. And there was nothing to stop him from saving his city.

 

* * *

 

 

When Ladybug finally tracked down the akuma –his first akuma, he was so nervous –he was honestly very confused. Had one of the sculptures of Lady Justice come to life? Because that’s what this woman looked like. She had the flowing Roman-style toga, the scales in one hand and a wicked sword in the other, and she was blindfolded. How could she see to attack the city?

 

“I’ll show you!” she cried –alright, blind but not mute, good to know. “Justice WILL PREVAIL!”

 

Ladybug landed not so elegantly behind her, watching her closely. What could she do? She had to have some sort of power, right? What did that beam of light do to the citizens? He watched silently as the akuma spotted a random bystander, curious to see what it did. If Tikki had been telling him the truth, he could repair the damage later. A golden beam of light shot from the woman’s sword, striking the man. Down he went, falling to his knees onto the hard pavement. It didn’t take long for Ladybug to figure out what the light did.

 

“I CAN’T SEE!” the man wailed as his very-wide-open eyes scanned the area. “Why can’t I see?!”

 

“Because justice should be blind!” the akumatized woman snapped. “I am Justitia, and I will return justice to this land!”

 

Ladybug was just about to throw his yo-yo at her when a silver staff landed right in front of him. He heard someone cursing from a few feet above him and glanced up. Holy horsefeathers! He leapt backward to avoid a black-clad figure who was somehow clinging onto the rapidly shrinking staff. The boy –he couldn’t have been any older than Ladybug himself –landed about as elegantly as the spotted hero had earlier before turning to face him.

 

. . . This was his partner? This guy was wearing a black leather suit and had cat ears! What kind of sap did those kwamis take him for? But he didn’t have time to think about it because that’s about the time that Justitia noticed they were there.

 

“YOU! Give me your Miraculous! Hawk Moth demands them, and he is the deliverer of justice!” she shouted.

 

“I thought _you_ were justice?” the cat-themed hero questioned innocently.

 

Justitia responded with a wordless yell as she raised her sword. Though she couldn’t see, the heroes didn’t doubt her aim. They dodged the attack, both doing flips that neither one had ever attempted before. Wow, so it wasn’t just the suit! They had better reaction times and increased physical abilities while transformed.

 

They retreated a few streets, occasionally allowing her to figure out where they were. They knew they had to lead her away from populated areas, but since they were in New York City, finding a place without people was going to be difficult. The black-clad hero tugged Ladybug toward a back alley, hoping to corner Justitia there. He didn’t say anything about the location, but Ladybug had a strange feeling that his partner was well informed about this part of town.

 

The duo took a moment to catch their breath as they waited for the akuma to find them. Neither boy was really sure what to say. ‘Hey, we’re going to fight evil supervillains together, so I’m . . .’? No, that wouldn’t work. Unfortunately, Ladybug just had to go and open his mouth, letting the stupid fall right out.

 

“These suits are the bee’s knees, am I right?” he questioned lightly before mentally slapping himself. Why? Why did he have to use an insect phrase while wearing a ladybug costume?

 

His partner gave him a onceover and started guffawing. “Wow, you slay me,” he managed to say through his chuckles. “That was probably the worst pun I’ve ever heard!”

 

“Well, I’d like to see you do better!” Ladybug snapped, face slowly growing red.

 

The other boy gave him a mischievous grin before speaking. “They may not be the bee’s knees, but they’re certainly the cat’s pajamas. Speaking of cats, I’m Black Cat. You are?”

 

“Ladybug,” the spotted hero replied. “Is this your first fight?”

 

“Yeah, this is my first akuma fight,” Black Cat agreed. Ladybug didn’t like how he specified it was an akuma fight. Just what kind of life did his partner lead? “So, how do we defeat justice? I thought that it was always supposed to prevail?”

 

Ladybug shrugged. “Give me a minute, Cat. I’ll come up with something. I hope.”

 

They didn’t have a minute. The instant the words left Ladybug’s lips, Justitia rounded the corner and grinned darkly at them. She raised her sword as the tip began to glow golden. Uh oh. The heroes dived out of the way just in time, avoiding getting blasted with the blinding ray. But she just kept striking, giving them little time to actually think about what they could do to defeat her.

 

Ladybug looked at the akumatized woman, eyes narrowed in thought. Where was the butterfly hiding? The only place it could possibly be was in her diadem, the tiny tiara atop her free-flowing hair. With that problem solved, he only had one thing left he could do.

 

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called, throwing his yo-yo up into the air. A swirl of red magic swarmed the unusual weapon, condensing into . . . a weight? What was he supposed to do with that? Just when he thought that Tikki wanted him to lose, the scales that Justitia had in her grasp flashed red with black spots. Oh! That’s what the weight was for!

 

“Black Cat!” he called. “Get her to stop moving!”

 

“I’m kind of busy, Ladybug!” the black-clad hero called back as he dodged yet another blast.

 

“NOW! This is important!”

 

“ _FINE!_ ”

 

Black Cat looked at the akuma, glanced around for just an instant, and threw his hand up into the air. “Cataclysm!”

 

The pulsing wave of bad luck coalesced in his palm. He took only a moment to examine it –this would probably kill a person if he used it on them –before touching his clawed hand to the wall beside both him and the akuma. Immediately, the wall began to crumble, collapsing under its own weight. The fallen debris limited Justitia’s movements, though it didn’t stop her completely. It would have to be good enough.

 

Ladybug took in the sight of their enemy and grinned. Black Cat had done it! He leaped over a rather large piece of wall and tossed the spotted weight at the akuma, hoping beyond hope that it would land where he needed it to. He’d never been good at sports.

 

Thankfully, the weight landed exactly where he wanted it to. Justitia screamed in pure rage as the scales were –literally –tipped in favor of the heroes. It was simple from there for Ladybug to scamper over the broken wall and pluck the diadem off of her head and snap it in two. An evil black butterfly escaped from the broken accessory, though was quickly caught within the spotted hero’s yo-yo.

 

“Got you!” he grinned before tapping the top of the yo-yo, just like Tikki had told him to do. A single pure white butterfly flew away before the hero picked up the weight and tossed it into the air after it.

 

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

 

An enormous wave of red magic swept over the city, returning everything to how it had been before the akuma had struck. People got their sight back, the wall was good as new, and the woman who had been Justitia was now just an ordinary girl. Even her diadem, which was really just a jewel-encrusted headband, was back on her head.

 

Black Cat stepped toward Ladybug, awe on his face. “That was amazing,” he said honestly.

 

Ladybug felt his face heat up. Why was he blushing? “It was nothing,” he denied. “Um, we have to go, remember? Or did your kwami not tell you about the time limit?”

 

“Oh, he did. In between bites of cheese, mind you,” Black Cat chuckled. “I’ll see you around?”

 

Ladybug smiled. “Yeah. See you later, kitty.”

 

He swung away without another word, wondering just where _that_ nickname had come from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! So they finally met! And Ladybug/Scott is so crushing on Black Cat/Mark, he just doesn’t know it yet. As for the akuma, I just really need to stop going to government class. I’m doing my end of the year project on Lady Justice, so that’s where she came from. Thanks for reading!
> 
> ~C


	3. Patrolling the City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black Cat just wanted to go for a run. Why did Ladybug have to be such a creepy stalker?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! Did you miss me? No? Alright then, let’s get this show on the road. Here’s the next chapter, so please enjoy Patrolling the City.

Mark looked out of his window and sighed. Sure, no one would mind if he just up and left, but it didn’t feel right. He hated going out without a set destination in mind, whether it be a place or person. But he was so bored. Nothing, not even his huge collection of books, was interesting to him right now. What he really wanted to do was transform and go for a run, but that might not be such a good idea. What if he ran into Ladybug? How would he explain his sudden urge to explore the city he was already so familiar with?

 

Plagg was being no help, of course. His great idea was to eat more cheese. For something so small, he sure could eat a _ton_. Mark’s mother was already asking him why he suddenly wanted so much cheese, especially such an expensive kind. Not that they lacked money or anything, but it was the principle of the thing.

 

Mark sighed again. Now he’d managed to confuse himself in his own thoughts. Yeah, it was definitely time for a run. He needed the exercise, if only to distract him from his random mind. To hell with what Ladybug might think; Mark was his own man. He wasn’t about to take orders from some cat in a spotted suit. No wait, he was the cat. Damn it. Now he couldn’t even talk right!

 

Without warning, Mark leapt off his bed and called “Plagg, claws out.”

 

Minutes later, Black Cat was spotted scampering over the rooftops of the city, laughing from the thrill of freedom.

 

* * *

 

 

Scott looked at the oven and sighed. Ever since getting his Miraculous and meeting Tikki, he’d had no choice but to take up baking. Sure, he’d tried to make things when he was bored –the odd cake or a grilled cheese –but he’d never actually _had_ to bake before. It was tiresome and annoying and Tikki ate way too many cookies after that battle the other day, but he tried to spin it in a positive light. If he didn’t bake, he couldn’t transform. If he couldn’t transform, he couldn’t be Ladybug and save New York City.

 

Too bad that didn’t sound all that great.

 

Tikki was trying her hardest to help. She mixed the dough for the cookies, handed him ingredients, and even tried not to eat too much so Scott wouldn’t have to bake every day. She hated that her chosen had to go out of his way for her. Next time she would try to convince Master Fu to give her to a baker. Yeah, that would be better for both parties.

 

Once the cookies were out of the oven and cooling down, Scott glanced out of his window. When he saw a streak of black against the grey cityscape, he froze. Black Cat? What was he doing out and about? Was there another akuma? The young photographer called out to his kwami and pointed out what he had seen. Tikki gave him a look.

 

“Well?” she questioned. “Go after him! If there _is_ an akuma, he’ll need your help. You’re the only one who can purify the akumas!”

 

Scott nodded. She was right, after all. “Tikki, spots on!”

 

* * *

 

 

Black Cat knew he was being followed. Ladybug wasn’t as sneaky as he thought he was. But he ignored the red-clad hero in favor of just running. It was the berries, if he was being honest. Just being able to run across rooftops, launching himself over streets with his staff, even just being able to take in the sights from high up was amazing. But eventually even his enhanced stamina gave out, leaving Black Cat needing to take a break.

 

His sights zeroed in on a huge building, one he had secretly been wanting to go to the top of for weeks. Now, since he was physically able, he was going up there. It only took a few seconds, but soon Black Cat had comfortably situated himself atop the Woolworth Building, nestled next to a railing that honestly served no purpose to anyone else. He gazed out at the city, wondering how long it would take for Ladybug to catch up. The answer: not very.

 

The spotted blond swooped in beside him, sitting on the railing he was behind. How was he so fearless this high up? Sure, Black Cat knew that he could use his staff to save himself if he fell, but that didn’t mean he wanted to risk it. Ladybug acted like sitting precariously atop very tall buildings was something he did every day. Maybe it was; they didn’t really know one another.

 

“Are you alright?” Ladybug questioned.

 

Black Cat shrugged. “As fine as the next cat, I suppose. You?”

 

“As good as the next bug,” Ladybug replied. “Why are we up here?”

 

“I wanted to go for a run; you’re a creepy stalker.”

 

Ladybug rolled his azure eyes. “I’m not a stalker. I just saw you running and thought there was an akuma. Sorry that I was nervous, alright? Besides, you’d need the backup.”

 

“No, I wouldn’t,” Black Cat retorted.

 

“Please, I saw you fight the other day. You have no idea how to use that staff.”

 

“Well, you can’t use your yo-yo to save your hide,” the black-clad hero snapped.

 

Ladybug wasn’t offended at all. In fact, he just laughed. “Alright, I guess we both suck at this, kitty.”

 

Black Cat opened his mouth to say something before be realized what his partner had called him. “Kitty?” he echoed.

 

Ladybug’s face heated up, soon matching the shade of his mask. “Oh, uh, yeah! I give people nicknames!” That was a lie, but Black Cat didn’t need to know that. “You can call me Bug if you want.”

 

The cat-themed hero chuckled. “No, I can do better than that, _my Lady_.”

 

If Ladybug had been blushing before, it was nothing compared to how red he was now. “M-my Lady?!” he stuttered. “W-why?!”

 

“You called me ‘kitty.’ Don’t you think I might feel a bit insulted by that?”

 

The heroes looked at each other, green eyes meeting blue in embarrassment and stubbornness. This contact only lasted about a minute before they broke out in laughter, doubling over. It was carefree, light, and joyful, something neither boy had been in a while. But all good things had to come to an end, and so the heroes soon realized that they had to go. They stood up, grabbing hold of their weapons as they prepared to descend from the top of the Woolworth Building. Before they jumped, however, Black Cat looked at Ladybug and smiled.

 

“See you here again?” he questioned.

 

Ladybug returned his grin. “Same time tomorrow, kitty.”

 

He threw his yo-yo and zipped away, leaving a very happy cat who just couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a bit shorter than the other chapter, but not much was supposed to happen. If it wasn’t very obvious, the Woolworth Building is supposed to be their patrol spot. I think it’s a really pretty building that you should really go look up. Also, I find it kind of funny that patrols aren’t actually a thing in the show but everyone just accepts that Ladybug and Chat Noir patrol Paris. Has anyone else noticed that? Thanks for reading!
> 
> ~C


	4. Opposites Attract

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark was just walking along when he spotted the idiot in the tree. Does saving this sap mean he's got a new friend? And one who's the son of the one officer John Lamont hasn't been able to bribe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait, you guys! Summer is kind of my ‘hiatus season,’ since I can really only get online at school. Trust me, I don’t want it to be, but that’s the way it is. Good news though: I now have a laptop again, so I can prewrite chapters and post them about every two weeks. Sorry about my long, unannounced break, and please enjoy Opposites Attract.

Mark was walking in Battery Park, just along the ocean, on a comfortable Saturday morning. It wasn’t too hot, but it wasn’t too cool either. He had until this afternoon until his father wanted him home for mandatory ‘family time.’ That was code for ‘let’s talk about you taking over the business someday to bump people off and sell bootleg to ossified cats.’ Mark sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. He really needed to stop moping about his future; there was nothing he could do about it, so what was the point in being upset about it?

 

Plagg squirmed around in Mark’s pocket, reminding him of his presence. Mark grinned to himself; maybe he was destined to become a gangster, but until then he could be a rebel and use his gift to stop his father’s plans. He’d already stopped one murder this week -apparently John Lamont’s florist had refused to sell him the bouquets for a party John was throwing later that month, so John had decided that the florist had to die. Mark had stepped in as Black Cat just in time to save the man’s life. It had been the greatest achievement of his life so far, saving a man’s life from his father’s wrath.

 

Now, however, he was just taking a calm walk through the park, taking in the sights that only summer could bring. Along the way, he noticed a boy sitting in a tree, holding a camera to his face. Huh. He must’ve been some brave bird, sitting on that branch like that. Wait, he was leaning now. That didn’t look safe. Oh _NO!_

 

Mark lunged forward just as the branch snapped in two, sending the boy and his camera tumbling toward the water. With an _oomph_ and a panicked cry, Mark managed to sort of catch the teenage boy -well, _catch_ was a relative term. Really, the boy landed half in, half on Mark’s arms, crushing him to the ground. Mark squirmed in pain, trying to get the guy off.

 

The boy was dropped unceremoniously but safely onto the ground, clutching his camera to his chest. What was with that stupid camera? Mark got enough dough from his father every week to replace the worthless thing and then some. Both boys got to their feet, unsure of where to go from there. What were they supposed to say? ‘Hey, thanks for saving me, I have to go?’ ‘Don’t be such a sap next time?’ No, that wouldn’t work. Just when Mark was about to try his best and break the ice, the boy opened his mouth.

 

“Thank you,” he said in a small voice. His sky blue eyes refused to meet Mark’s forest green ones as he talked. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

 

“Guess not, kid,” Mark shrugged.

 

The boy’s eyes snapped toward his. “Don’t call me ‘kid.’ I’m the same age as you!”

 

Mark chuckled. Alright, so there was fire in this guy. He could respect that. “What’s your name?”

 

“Scott Ross,” he introduced. “Yours?”

 

His stomach dropped. Ross? Like the police captain? The one guy on the force that couldn’t be bought or scared off by the Lamonts? Did Mark really just save the son of one of his father’s enemies?

 

Could this get any worse?

 

“Mark,” he finally stated somewhat nervously. “Mark, uh, Bell. Are you okay?”

 

Scott nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

 

“Why were you in the tree?”

 

A pale red shade began creeping up Scott’s face as he laughed awkwardly. “Heh, well, I was trying to take a picture of a seagull out on the water, but I couldn’t get a good shot from the ground. My pops just got me this camera for my birthday, so I’ve been doing my best to prove it wasn’t a waste of money.”

 

Mark nodded like he knew what Scott was talking about, but in truth he’d never had to do something like that. John Lamont made so much money from his illegal liquor that money was never an issue. Mark had any material thing he could ever want.

 

“So you’re taking pictures for your father?” he asked.

 

“Exactly,” Scott nodded. “But I think I might be done for today. I really don’t feel like dying today. I have enough danger to worry about since the akuma attacks started.”

 

Mark winced. He’d never really thought about how a civilian felt about the attacks. “Yeah. Best be getting on your way, then. I don’t think those heroes would go out of their way to save a sap falling into the ocean.”

 

“You’d be surprised,” he muttered just loud enough for Mark to hear him. What did he mean by that? Was Ladybug going around saving people from their own stupidity? Black Cat certainly wasn’t! The two boys spent a few minutes more discussing Scott’s photos and klutziness, until they were interrupted by a rumbling sound from the other boy’s stomach.

 

Scott rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry about that. Guess I lost track of time. I’d better head home for lunch.”

 

“Why not go to a restaurant?” Mark suggested before his mind could tell him to shut up. “I know a great place not too far from here.”

 

“I don’t have any dough with me,” he explained.

 

Mark waved Scott’s remark off. “I’ll pay. Really,” he added, seeing Scott’s look of refusal already forming on his face. “My treat.”

 

The boy ran a hand through his slick blond hair, a pensive look on his face. Finally, he nodded. “Sure,” he agreed. “Why not? It’ll be the berries.”

 

“The cat’s pajamas,” Mark corrected with a sly smirk.

 

Scott looked like he’d just been slapped for a brief instant before a more heartfelt smile found its way to his face. “Nah, it’s the bee’s knees,” he finished.

 

Mark just laughed before leading Scott to his favorite restaurant.

 

* * *

 

 

Twenty minutes later, the two boys were sitting down in a fairly swanky café, munching on sandwiches and chatting up a storm. Mark really enjoyed talking to this kid, despite knowing his father would rather have the boy killed if he knew. Heck, maybe it was _because_ of that. Either way, it didn’t change the fact that he really liked this guy. Maybe making a friend wouldn’t be such a bad thing for him to do. Besides, Scott thought his last name was Bell. There was nothing to connect him to his father.

 

Maybe being Black Cat wasn’t the only way to escape the collar the family name had around his throat.

 

“No, I’m being honest!” Scott laughed. “The man told me right to my face that I was, and I quote, ‘a bearcat with no sense of taste.’”

 

“Was he plastered at the time?” Mark chuckled. That was the only explanation he could think of for anyone thinking that Scott was a hot-blooded girl without a ritzy style.

 

“Only a lot,” the blonde laughed. “It didn’t help that everyone in the precinct was standing there, watching the whole thing go down. They were making jokes about it for months. I still don’t think I’ve heard the end of it.”

 

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think any sober person would mistake you for a dame.”

 

The police officer’s son just laughed again before turning back to his lunch. Mark watched him with his warm green eyes, just observing him. How could someone be so happy go lucky and be the son of one of the stoniest people Mark had ever heard of? Even John Lamont, evil crime lord that he was, smiled and laughed and spent time outside of work. From what he had heard from his father, Harry Ross was a straight edge workaholic with little time left over for people.

 

Once the two boys finally finished their lunch and the classy waiters took their plates away, they got up and made their way toward the door. Mark was just about to bid Scott goodbye –and maybe even ask him if he would like to meet up again tomorrow –the blue eyed boy once again opened his mouth and said something the other would never had expected.

 

“See you tomorrow, Mark Lamont.”

 

With that, Scott walked out the door, leaving Mark frozen where he stood. How . . . Why . . . Had he known the whole time?

 

Had Scott willingly befriended the son of a well-known mob boss?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we have proof that Scott is either entirely too trusting or has something up his sleeve. Since I made him up, let me assure you that it’s a little bit of both. Anyway, now they’ve met in civilian form as well as superhero form. There are two more meetings between these two, so be on the lookout for them! Thanks for reading!
> 
> ~C


	5. Virtuoso

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A violinist gone bad and some flirting from Ladybug . . . how will the world go on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Ready to read the next installation of Scott and Mark’s fabulous adventures? No? Too bad! Nah, I’m just kidding. I’m pretty sure if you didn’t want to read something, you’d use that little back arrow in the corner and leave. To anyone I haven’t accidentally offended into leaving, please enjoy Virtuoso as my apology for being so weird.

“CAT!” Ladybug shouted, swinging out of the way of yet another akuma’s attack. “ANY TIME NOW!”

 

“I’m a little busy at the moment!” Black Cat snapped back, just barely dodging a blow from a civilian the newest akuma had possessed into doing his dirty work.

 

The akuma of the week was a bright orange creep going by the name Virtuoso. As far as the heroes could tell, he had been rejected from some famous orchestra because his style didn’t fit in with the rest of the musicians. Now he put people in a trance with his music and force them to fight his battles for him. If he got Ladybug, Black Cat and the rest of New York City was doomed.

 

“Retreat to our spot!” Ladybug eventually decided, realizing that there was no way they could win without a plan.

 

Black Cat nodded solemnly before using his staff to push the small army away from him. He leapt into the air, catching a low-hanging flagpole and pulling himself onto the top of the store. Ladybug followed suit, and soon the two heroes were bounding across the rooftops, heading off toward the one place they knew no one could find them.

 

* * *

 

 

Once they were sitting comfortably atop the Woolworth Building, the two Miraculous wielders finally took a second to just breathe. They had fought the akuma for nearly an hour without a break. It was the longest fight they had participated in so far.

 

“I can’t believe some old bird can be this powerful,” Cat complained, stretching out against the railing.

 

Ladybug smiled wryly at him. “Guess even the mighty Black Cat can’t keep up with classical music.”

 

“Yeah, well, we cats are too ritzy to listen to that,” he said flippantly.

 

Ladybug rolled his eyes, but decided to let it slide for now. It wasn’t important at the moment, anyway. Right now, they had to figure out how to beat Virtuoso and cleanse the akuma. It didn’t help that the akuma, as previously stated, had a violent army that would stop at nothing to destroy the heroes and steal their Miraculouses. How could they beat that?

 

“So Cataclysm should be a last resort,” the spotted boy mused. “I mean, I don’t want you disintegrating people if we can help it.”

 

Black Cat shot him an icy glare that made Ladybug glad looks couldn’t kill. “I wouldn’t do that.”

 

“Of course not. You’re kwami wouldn’t have picked you if you would.” Why was Cat getting so defensive about this? What was going on in his life for him to react like this? “Anyway, maybe we can somehow distract the musical carrot and steal his violin, since I’m willing to bet my camera that’s where the akuma is.”

 

“Camera?” Black Cat echoed, brows furrowing behind his mask.

 

“Not important,” Ladybug dismissed. “So, any thoughts on how to distract him?”

 

At this, Cat smirked. “Oh, I have one idea, but you’re not going to like it, my Lady.”

 

The hero rolled his sky blue eyes, but still listened to his partner’s plan, pleasantly surprised by what he heard. He hadn’t known he was in the presence of a master strategist, though he deftly ignored the fact that Cat had been keeping it from him until now. They kept things from each other all the time, not that it was very conducive to starting a relationship.

 

. . . Relationship? Where had that come from?

 

* * *

 

 

Virtuoso smiled grimly to himself, watching his captive audience listen to his beautiful music. This was perfection at its finest; no, _he_ was perfection at its finest. His music was a gift to all mankind, meant to be shared. And what had those pompous braggarts decided after being granted that awesome gift? They had thrown it back in his face, claiming he just ‘wasn’t what they needed for their orchestra.’ He was the best violinist in the world! How could he not be welcomed with anything less than open arms?

 

The entrancing son he was playing took a sour turn, causing discomfort through his ar – _fans_. Fans, of course. He didn’t have an army. What a ridiculous thought. He had loyal followers, fans who were willing to do anything for him, ensnared in his melodies as they were. Virtuoso paused only a moment, pretending that it was a natural rest in the composition, before resuming as he had before.

 

That was the exact moment when a crash echoed through the room, effectively halting his melody in its tracks.

 

“Who dares interrupt my genius?!” Virtuoso demanded, holding his orange violin at his side, the bow clutched tightly in his opposite hand.

 

“I don’t know if I’d call your song ‘genius,’” the intruder commented lightly, striding into the room. “Soothing, I’ll admit. At least, it was up until that part you kind of lost control. Guess you’re not the ‘virtuoso’ you claim to be, huh?”

 

The akumatized man scowled at the leather-clad hero swinging his ‘tail’ around like he wasn’t walking into the lion’s den. How could one be so calm while confronting his enemy? Perhaps Hawkmoth had been right in warning him not to treat them like the children he knew they were. No one, unless they were either incredibly stupid or incredibly confident, could smirk in the face of danger like this ‘Black Cat’ was doing.

 

“What do you want? To save these people? It could be so simple, you know,” Virtuoso tempted, his grip on his violin bow loosening just enough to return circulation to his sunset-hued hands. “Just hand over that ring on your finger, and I will let them all go. Hawkmoth is the one with the quarrel against you and yours, not I, but to be free from his voice in my head, telling me what to do and what to say? Now that would be wonderful. And I’m willing to give up my followers in order to accomplish this. What do you say, little hero? Will you give up your freedom for theirs?”

 

An indecisive look leaked into the hero’s emerald eyes, the only betrayal of the internal struggle he was facing. Virtuoso allowed himself a small grin at the sight. Yes, soon he would have one of those blasted Miraculouses, and Hawkmoth would release him from his contract. He would have the power, without the responsibility and the demanding voice screaming at him at every hesitation. He would be unstoppable. All that was needed was for that leather-clad brat to realize he could not win and _hand over that ring_.

 

Cat’s face hardened, the indecision leaving as swiftly as it had arrived. He slowly approached the akumatized man, no emotion left to betray him. Virtuoso’s grin widened. He almost could not believe it was happening. Yes, he had seen the news before his transformation, known that these two heroes had been saving the city from creatures such as himself for weeks. Now here he was, the only one able to defeat them!

 

Black Cat’s slow, methodical steps finally brought him to stand before Virtuoso. His claw-tipped fingers inched toward his opposite hand, brushing against the black ring with the alarmingly green paw print. Virtuoso waited with baited breath as the metal band started to slide off of his ring finger. It was nearly past the last joint when–

 

_Zzzwish! Crash!_

 

Virtuoso was knocked off his feet by a pair of red boots slamming into his side. He crumbled onto the floor, nearly skidding off of the giant stage he had taken hostage when the heroes had vanished hours earlier. Behind him, he heard a triumphant laugh and a congratulatory remark from that awful traitor of a feline. How had he fallen for that false indecision? A child could have seen through that, and he had trusted that little cat-eared boy. He had honestly expected him to hand over the Miraculous, to give up his power to save those people.

 

No one gave up power. No one.

 

Virtuoso recovered quickly, reaching for his violin so he could put those annoyingly brave children under his control and force them to give up their Miraculouses. However, his hand clutched the polished floor in vain, reaching for something that was already beyond his reach.

 

Something that was already in Ladybug’s grasp.

 

“NO!” Virtuoso cried, lunging for his weapon even as the spotted hero brought it crashing down onto the stage, splintering the instrument into a thousand wooden shards. A vile butterfly fluttered out of the wreckage, but barely made it a foot before it was snatched up by the boy’s yo-yo like weapon.

 

“Got you!” the blond shouted, a hard smile on his face. He tapped the opening of the yo-yo, releasing the purified insect. He turned to face his partner, pleased at their success with a plan he had originally hated, when he saw the horror in Black Cat’s eyes. “What?”

 

“You didn’t use Lucky Charm.”

 

Ladybug’s eyes reflected the terror in Cat’s, but swiftly turned to acceptance and –dare he even say it –defiance. Without a moment’s hesitation, the red-clad hero tossed his weapon into the air and called out “Lucky Charm!” the red magic coalescing into a . . . music stand? Ladybug looked at Black Cat, who shrugged. Maybe the magic was taking inspiration from their surroundings, a huge music hall. He barely missed a beat, tossing the item into the air with little difficulty, shouting “Miraculous Ladybug!” as he did so.

 

The red magic swirled once again, rushing like water over the destruction that had been caused by the akuma. It condensed briefly over Virtuoso, transforming him back into the rejected violinist. But Ladybug and Black Cat didn’t pay him any mind. They just stared at each other for a moment, unwilling to leave but unwilling to say anything. Finally, Ladybug broke the silence.

 

“I just realized something. We have a ‘spot.’”

 

Black Cat looked at him for a second before rolling his eyes. “Really? That was the best pun you could come up with?”

 

“Hey, you didn’t realize that I made it before we ditched the fight to regroup earlier,” Ladybug protested. “Besides, it doesn’t change the fact we have a spot!”

 

“Only couples have spots, my Lady.”

 

The blond held a hand to his chest and gasped dramatically. “I am offended! We can have a spot too, you know. In fact, I’m covered in them.”

 

At that, Cat rolled his eyes and gave his partner a light push. “Oh, shut up. You should get going anyway. Remember, the time limit?”

 

Ladybug’s earrings beeped, accentuating Cat’s point. The blond rolled his eyes. “Fine. See you tomorrow?”

 

“Our spot?” his partner teased.

 

“You know it, Kitty.”

 

Ladybug threw his yo-yo, swinging through the air. Black Cat waited just a moment before scampering after, wondering why Ladybug seemed a little odd about them having a ‘spot.’ It was almost as if . . . No. He didn’t care if Ladybug was . . . err, different, since he might be thinking he was the same, but he couldn’t like Cat. Black Cat was just a façade, a mask to hide behind and be free. Black Cat wasn’t Mark, as much as he wished it.

 

Cat shook his head sharply, trying to physically shake the thoughts from his mind. It didn’t matter if he was a mask or a person. Ladybug didn’t like him anyway, and he definitely didn’t like Ladybug that way, even if he called him his Lady. That was just to get back at him for the Kitty remarks.

 

Cat continued his scampering run, trying to get as far away as he could before he turned back into a hated man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Black Cat insecurities, minor flirting on Ladybug’s part, and an akuma that was definitely inspired by something I saw on Face Off a few years ago. (Great show by the way. You should really go watch it when it comes back on in freaking 2017.) Since you guys are so awesome, I need your help: see, I have a chapter outline for this fic, which basically means Chapter Title, then This One Major Thing Happens and Whatever Else Happens Will Happen. Well, I just realized that I have two chapters in that outline that are literally labeled (???) with (Scott x Black Cat) or (Mark x Ladybug). So, any ideas? I don’t want there to be too much romance between them, for reasons that will be explained in the next chapter, and pretty much zero romance in the second one, but beyond that I have no idea. Tell me what you’ve got, and I’ll do my best to work with it.
> 
> Shout out to Aubrie Leoncliff, since I kind of promised them that this would be up last week and I failed epically. I am so sorry, but things come up –writer’s block and additional plot bunnies for other fics, mainly. From now on, I’ll do my best to avoid giving empty promises about posting dates. And if I make any and don’t pay up, feel free to (nicely, don’t be haters, people) call me on my crap. Thanks for reading!
> 
> ~C


	6. Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark realizes something he should have known all along . . . Now all he needs to do is find out what to do about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently checked out the reviews for this fic on ff.net (I’m awful about looking at them, I’m so sorry!) and, in response to one, no, Scott doesn’t know Mark is Black Cat. He is as painfully oblivious as Marinette and Adrien are. And since I’d never actually thought about why Scott recognized Mark two chapters ago, I guess it is possible that there was a picture of Mark in the precinct. In fact, let’s go ahead and make that what happened. On another note, I really do enjoy a good ‘let’s make the character feel awful and give them no sympathy from anyone’ chapter, as long as it gets resolved later on, of course. So, consider this one of those very conflicting chapters and please enjoy Denial (which, as Mark is about to learn, is not just a river in Egypt).

Mark waited. And waited. And waited some more. Where was he? Scott was supposed to meet him here ten minutes ago! The dark haired teen got up from the bench he was sitting on and began angrily pacing under the tree he and Scott had met at a week ago. They were supposed to go to lunch again, this time at some place Scott liked. Mark had to admit that he really liked spending time with the blond, even though he knew who he was. In fact, he probably liked hanging out with Scott _because_ he knew who he was. Mark had never met anyone else who hadn’t treated him differently once they found out who his father was. Scott was like a breath of fresh air after being stuck in a dark room for years.

 

Wait, where had _that_ thought come from?

 

As Mark was trying to avoid getting angry at his blue-eyed friend for being late, a tiny nudge in his pocket distracted him. With a quick scan of his surroundings for people, he pulled Plagg out of said pocket.

 

“What?” Mark snapped.

 

Plagg scoffed at his human. “Stop obsessing over your boyfriend; he’ll be here any minute. And when will you finally get that vest with the inside pocket? I’m tired of being in your pants!”

 

Mark’s mind latched onto the first part of his kwami’s rant. “Scott is _not_ my boyfriend!” he seethed. “He’s just a friend, got it?”

 

“I got that you’re in denial,” the floating cat stated. “Just go kiss him already. All this brooding is making my fur itch.”

 

“I do not brood.”

 

Plagg wisely decided not to comment. Instead, he flew back into Mark’s pocket just as a familiar voice cheerfully called out.

 

“Mark!” Scott grinned, running over to the teen. “Sorry I’m late; Dad wanted me to help sort files before I left. I think he knows I was meeting up with you, though how is beyond me.”

 

The dark haired boy shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s alright. So, where’s this restaurant you told me about? If it really is the cat’s meow, I think we should head on over.”

 

Scott’s grin widened. “Well, it’s not really a restaurant, but it’s the absolute berries. Come on; Jimmy’s probably wondering why we’re not there already.”

 

Before Mark could ask just who Jimmy was, Scott had already grabbed his arm and began pulling him down the street.

 

* * *

 

 

The two boys stopped running just paces away from a food cart parked outside of a huge skyscraper. A man with bright blond hair tucked beneath a brown cap stood behind the cart, advertising his wares. The smell from the cart had Mark’s mouth watering, not that he would admit it. Scott waved excitedly at the man behind the cart, releasing Mark’s arm so he could sprint over unencumbered.

 

“Jimmy!” the teen greeted brightly. “Told you we’d show up.”

 

“Took you long enough, Pic,” the man, Jimmy, teased, mussing up Scott’s hair with his hand.

 

“Pic?” Mark echoed, confusion leaking into his voice.

 

Scott turned to his green-eyed friend, that eternal smile still on his face. “Mark, meet my cousin Jimmy. He runs the food cart. Makes a pretty penny too, on a good day.”

 

“What, you looking to cut in on my customer base?” Jimmy quipped, laughing.

 

“As if. I’m gonna work for the newspaper, remember?”

 

The two cousins began descending into meaningless squabbles, completely ignoring the question Mark had raised in the first place. He didn’t say anything though, preferring instead to listen to the two of them hash it out. He did notice a few people meandering by, looking halfway interested in the food from the cart, but choosing not to stop due to the frightfully loud, yet utterly fake argument. If Jimmy noticed them, he chose not to do anything about it, instead continuing harassing Scott.

 

Eventually Scott remembered that they were there for food, not just somewhat-pleasant conversation. He told Jimmy that they wanted ‘the usual,’ whatever that was. Mark could only trust that his friend wouldn’t steer him wrong. After obtaining two sandwiches wrapped up in yesterday’s newspaper, Scott thanked his cousin Jimmy and started leading Mark away from the cart. The green-eyed boy slipped a few dollars out of his wallet after noticing that Scott had forgotten to pay for the meal, but Jimmy stopped him.

 

“Nope,” he declined. “Family doesn’t pay. Family also doesn’t come ‘round more than once a week or I’ll be out of business.”

 

“But I’m not family,” he remarked.

 

“You’re Pic’s friend; that’s good enough for me. Now go on! He’s already across the street.”

 

Mark nodded his thanks before taking off after his friend, slipping the money back into his pocket. Family, huh? When he finally caught up with Scott, the latter was sitting down on a bench, a few bites already gone from his sandwich. Mark sat down beside him and was instantly handed the other paper-wrapped concoction.

 

“You have got to try this,” Scott insisted after swallowing. “It’s the best thing you will ever eat, I guarantee it.”

 

“Even better than the ice cream from that place we went the other day?” Mark retorted even as he unwrapped the top of his lunch.

 

“Even better,” Scott vowed.

 

Mark was skeptical of the blond’s claim, but took a bite from the sandwich anyway. Wow, okay, so maybe Scott had a point. It was, without a doubt, the best sandwich Mark had ever eaten – not that he’d had many sandwiches before, but still.

 

“Well? What do you think?”

 

“You were right,” he agreed. “This is better than the ice cream.”

 

Scott’s triumphant grin nearly distracted Mark from what the boy was saying. “Hah! I knew it! And it’s even better because it was free.”

 

Mark swallowed his current bite of heaven before speaking again. “That reminds me: why did Jimmy call you Pic?”

 

“I told you I take pictures, right? Well, even before I got my camera, I’ve always wanted to be a photographer. Jimmy couldn’t help but tease me for it, and the nickname stuck.”

 

Mark smiled. “You two get along great.”

 

Scott shrugged. “He’s family.”

 

The weight of that statement surprised Mark. _He’s family_. Sure, he’d heard stuff like that all his life, being expected to take over his own family’s business as he was, but he’d never really believed that family took care of each other as everyone said they did. He’d lost two cousins who tried to betray his father, as well as an uncle who decided to become a bull, because they didn’t ‘support the family.’ To Mark, ‘family’ was synonymous with ‘business,’ but it was obvious even to an outsider how much Scott truly cared about his relations. Just thinking about it made Mark’s head spin.

 

They ate their lunch with gusto, crumpling up the used newspaper and tossing it into a nearby trashcan when they were finished. Mark, not wanting nor needing to go home any time soon, suggested they walk the streets for a little while. Scott agreed instantly, apparently unwilling to head back to an empty apartment just yet. They meandered down the sidewalk, chatting about anything and everything they could think of. By the time Scott checked his watch and realized he had to get home, Mark felt like he knew the boy’s whole life story. That was okay with him, though. He wanted to know everything he could about Scott.

 

They turned to say their goodbyes and make plans to meet again just as the sun started to set. The warm rays got caught in Scott’s hair, lighting up the strands like liquid gold. His blue eyes shone bright with happiness, matching the warm smile on his face as he bid Mark goodbye. The sight stole the breath from the black-haired boy as he realized something that he should have realized sooner.

 

With a hasty goodbye thrown carelessly over his shoulder, Mark ran down the street, trying to leave behind his sudden realization. This wasn’t good. This really, really wasn’t good. In fact, this was the opposite of good. This was bad.

 

Plagg had been right.

 

Mark liked Scott.

 

And there was nothing he could do about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even I can’t believe I wrote that line Plagg said about being in Mark’s pants. I kind of had to, though. The joke was too good to pass up! (Though I am pretty sure that that phrase wasn’t used in the twenties, so chalk it up to Plagg being Plagg.) But hey, I still need ideas for a Ladybug x Mark and Black Cat x Scott chapter! Please? The next chapter is supposed to be Lark! (Ladybug x Mark; I thought it was clever, but maybe not . . .) Seriously, any idea you guys could give me would be wonderful. Please think of something you’d like to see! Thanks for reading!
> 
> ~C


End file.
